PORTLAND PILOTS (6-1)
WEEK 3 GAME NOTES
 
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (3-5)
Dates: Fri-Sun, Feb. 28-Mar. 1
Location: Ridgefield, Wash.
Ballpark: Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex
Video: N/A
Live Audio (No audio on Saturday): PortlandPilots.com
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday - Game 1 | Saturday - Game 2 | Sunday
Series: POR leads 4-2
Last: SFA 6-5, POR 7-3, SFA 8-7, POR 7-1 (Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 2019 at SFA)
 
PROBABLE STARTERS (W-L, ERA)
Friday • Feb. 28 • 1 PM
POR: RHP Christian Peters (2-0, 0.64)
SFA: LHP Angelo Gennari (0-0, 1.80)
 
Saturday • Feb. 29 • 11 AM • Game 1
POR: RHP Nate Packard (0-1, 12.00)
SFA: RHP Joe Todd (1-1, 2.25)
 
Saturday • Feb. 29 • 2:30 PM • Game 2
POR: LHP Caleb Franzen (1-0, 1.29)
SFA: LHP Jacob Stobart (0-1, 8.22)
 
Sunday • March 1 • 1 PM
POR: RHP Eli Morse (1-0, 4.50)
SFA: RHP Reece Easterling (0-1, 13.50)
 
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots return to the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex (RORC) in Ridgefield, Wash., to host a four-game series against the Lumberjacks from Stephen F. Austin.
• The series begins with a game on Friday at 1 p.m.
• The Pilots and Lumberjacks then play a double header on Saturday at 11 a.m., and Sunday's series finale is set for 1 p.m.
• Links for live audio and live stats can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
THIS SEASON IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• Due to the on-going construction of Joe Etzel Field the Pilots will be playing "home" games throughout the greater Portland area and Southwest Washington.
• The Pilots will be playing two series at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex in Ridgefield, Wash. (Feb. 14-16 & Feb. 28-March 1), two series at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro (Feb. 20-22 & March 26-28), and they'll play one series at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. (March 13-15).
• Additionally, the Pilots will be playing two games at Concordia University (March 25 & 30) and another at Ron Tonkin Field (April 21).
• All other home games, as of right now, will be played at Joe Etzel Field, with berm seating only for games in April.
• Ridgefield Notes: Admission will not be charged and concessions are available on a limited basis.
• Hillsboro Notes: Admission will be charged ($5 for everyone and seating is general admission) and parking is free; this does not apply to the game vs. Oregon State on April 21, and for more ticket information on that game please visit PortlandPilots.com/tickets.
• Corvallis Notes: Admission will not be charged.
 
LAST WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots rebounded from a series opening loss to win three straight over the Utah Valley Wolverines at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro.
• After dropping the opener 6-2 on Thursday, the Pilots rallied to take the first game of a Friday double header by a 6-5 margin; Jake Holcroft sparked the comeback bid with a two-run triple, Tracye Tammaro belted a game-tying solo homer, and the Pilots manufactured what would prove to be the game-winning run in the top of the eighth.
• The Pilots then rolled to an 8-2 win in the second game of the double header, and they took Saturday's series finale 11-1.
• Hunter Montgomery hit a pair of homers in the 8-2 win, during which starter Christian Peters K'd seven and surrendered just one run in 7.0 innings.
• Holcroft went 4-for-4 on Saturday, and Chad Stevens collected five RBI's, including a pair of two-run doubles.
 
NEXT WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots face their first road games of the season, first traveling to Seattle for a contest with the Washington Huskies on Tuesday.
• Portland then continues on to Omaha, Neb., where they'll first play a double header against the Omaha Mavericks at Seymour Smith Park on Friday.
• The Creighton Bluejays then host the Pilots for a game on Saturday and another on Sunday at TD Ameritrade Park.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• At 6-1 the Pilots are off to their best start to a season since 2012 when Portland also began 6-1.
• Senior right-hander Christian Peters was the inaugural Rawlings WCC Pitcher of the Week after a dominating performance against Nevada (Feb. 14).
• In 7.0 scoreless innings against the Wolf Pack, Peters scattered just four hits and collected a career-high 12 strikeouts to claim the win; he also issued just one walk as the Pilots rolled to a 13-0 win.
• During a recent win over Nevada (Feb. 16), senior closer Connor Knutson made his season debut and promptly notched career save number 19, which is just five shy of matching the program's all-time record.
• Last year Knutson compiled 10 saves, three wins, and a 2.85 ERA, and he was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
• In the bottom of the eighth inning of a 14-1 win over Nevada (Feb. 14), Portland's Travis Turney, Dutton Elske, and Jake Tsukada hit back-to-back-to-back home runs.
• 2020 marks the fifth year for head coach Geoff Loomis, and this is the second time his squad has begun a season 3-0; the other came in 2016.
• Loomis is a Portland baseball alum and UP Athletics Hall of Fame member who still holds the UP program career record for batting average (.376).
• The Pilots won 25 games last season, which was the most wins since 2012.
• Junior shortstop Chad Stevens was voted to the 2020 All-West Coast Conference Preseason Team.
• In 2019, Stevens landed on the All-WCC Second Team and was placed on the initial Brooks Wallace Award Watch List; he hit .284 as a sophomore and collected 13 doubles, a triple, 12 stolen bases, and 36 runs scored, which are the ninth most in a single season in Portland program history.
• Sophomore Tracye Tammaro also earned all-conference recognition last year, landing on the league's all-freshman team after hitting .261 overall with five home runs, 26 RBI's, a triple, and 11 doubles in his first year with the Pilots.
• Tammaro's on-base percentage of .407 was a team-high, and his 409 putouts at first base rank 10th on the program's single-season chart.
• During one stretch last season Tammaro homered in four straight games.
• Junior right-hander Eli Morse ranks 10th all-time in program history with a career average of 8.04 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
• The Pilots led the WCC in home runs last season with 52; junior catcher Hunter Montgomery belted a team-high nine homers.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks are coming off a 12-3 loss at No. 21 TCU on Wednesday.
• The 'Jacks are batting .185 as a team, opponents are hitting .250, and SFA claims a staff ERA of 5.91.
• Junior catcher Jake Zarrello leads the team with a .333 batting average, two home runs, and six RBI's.
• Johnny Cardenas is in his 12th year as head coach at Stephen F. Austin, he's guided the Lumberjacks to three 30-win seasons, and he's the programs all-time winningest coach.
 
THE NEW ETZ: COMPLETION DATE 2020
• Joe Etzel Field, Portland baseball's home since 1988, has undergone some upgrades during the past few years, including the first two phases of a three-phase, long-term plan.
• Phase one in 2014 included the installation of AstroTurf, new fencing, bullpens, a scoreboard and a grass berm for seating down the right field line, while new lights were phase two in 2016.
• The final phase of the new Joe Etzel field is still on-going, and when finished the upgraded facility will feature the addition of new seating, concourse, press box, ticketing office, dugouts, and a refreshed plaza surrounding the stadium.